Modern-day 007s and average Joes can learn valuable lessons from Michael Peros, who is a secret agent man in his own right.
He's an expert when it comes to communication security such as eavesdropping and technical surveillance. He has crisscrossed the globe on assignment and has been interviewed on CBS News' "48 Hours."
Privacy Electronics, his Largo, Fla., store of 23 years, houses some of the most advanced technological surveillance equipment available. Many of the products are custom manufactured by Peros and his team. Two decades ago, he had no idea that a business like his would be so significant.
Here are some insights from Peros:
Question: Does it seem as if everything is wired these days?
Answer: It really is. Due to increased public and corporate awareness, demand for technology has increased. We're going into the new digital age, where everything is stored on a database. All cell phone activity and credit card transactions are being stored. We're getting away from the cash society and going into the digital society.
Q: How did you get into the spy business?
A: I was educated at the University of South Florida in mechanical engineering. From that point, I got involved in the electronic countermeasurebusiness, which is currently what I do. It is communication security and technical surveillance. I also received training from a guy who was the top technical spy for the CIA for 41 years and was their primary eavesdropper.
Q. Would people be surprised to find out how much Big Brother is watching?
A: I think people would be very surprised. At every major intersection, you'll see multiple cameras installed for recording live video. A lot of that is being tied into the central database system for the Department of Transportation. Florida has one of the most advanced technical integrated systems in the union when it comes to monitoring, recording, and storing of public transportation areas.
Q. What type of security system do people generally use?
A. A four-camera system. Something that will allow you to watch the front door, the back yard and maybe one camera inside that could connect right to your television and record on your hard drive. It will allow you to store between one and three months of video, so if something were to happen you could come back and review it. This is very popular right now and is getting to be very cost-effective, selling for only $599.
Q. Any new advances in technology we should be aware of?
A. One of the biggest crazes right now is Web video surveillance. There are also a lot of things going on with spyware technology, which are programs that can be put into computer networks in either e-mail or cell phones that allow someone to monitor the activity. It captures information pertaining to text messages, phone numbers dialed, Web sites visited and what is being typed on a keyboard on a target computer.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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